HORSE OF THE YEAR SHOW IMPLEMENTS VACCINATION POLICY IN LINE WITH NEW FEI RULING

The Horse of the Year Show has confirmed that it will be implementing the revised requirements for Equine Influenza Vaccinations under the amended FEI ruling that came into place on 1st January 2005.

Under such rules, following the normal primary course of vaccination, horses/ponies will now be required to have booster vaccinations at six monthly intervals, replacing the old twelve monthly system.

For 2005, the FEI have put in place a warning only system which will operate as a reminder, for those horses that have not been upgraded to the new system, that six monthly booster vaccinations for influenza are mandatory.

However, from 1st January 2006, a system of fines and exclusion from competition for those not complying with the new rules will exist.

Mark Wein, a director of Grandstand Media Limited, organisers of the Horse of the Year Show commented, “Whilst the new vaccination programme operates with a warning only system for 2005, which should allow everyone to compete at this year’s Horse of the Year Show, our advice to competitors is that anyone who is not complying with the new vaccination system should do so with immediate effect.”